HOW TO VIVALOO – Creating Save the Date Cards with Vivaloo

02.20.15

OK so lets actually talk about some practical applications for Vivaloo, because just saying the possibilities are endless (while true) is also kinda lame, lets just dive into some possibilities and look at how you an start implementing Vivaloo immediately. ***But first download the app from the iOS app store search “Vivaloo” if your on an android device my apologies you will have the app soon. Open the app and type in the vivakey “DrewVivian” turn on the sound to your device and then keep reading.

First Lets look at how we can spice up a pre-existing product. For this example we are going to use the “Save-The-Date” Card.

Save-The-Dates are great for a bunch of reasons
– They are the first expression of the wedding in the eyes of the guests, it sets the tone for the event to come
– They are also business cards sent to every guest for the photographer (even if you don’t put your logo on it if impressive the person will ask “who took that picture? -or- Who did that card?)
– If they are a magnet… they stay on 100+ peoples fridge for like a gajillion years (reminding them of your studio)
– They are another source of revenue for the studio that is actually something of value to the client

Ok so you get the idea, now how can we Vivafy the save the date? Lets look at one way that you can do this with only a small amount of effort and no new skills or equipment.

The first way will be to communicate information to the viewer with the video
In this example as we were shooting a session in Manhattan in December, and we knew that this image was going to be used in some form. view the save the date card below then scan it with the Vivaloo app using viva key “drewvivian”

So what I did was take the shot in a couple different poses to make sure I had one that would match the aesthetic of the card (look at camera, look at each other,, touch foreheads, kiss etc etc etc) then with out moving the couple at all I swapped into video mode on my DSLR and tried to frame the shot the same way I framed the still image I just took. I then asked the couple to invite everyone to their wedding. It was just that simple. I shot the video with the couple centered knowing that the final print would probibly be to a different aspect ratio (which it was, it was printed on a magnet)

Now how more likely are you to have a client interested in save the dates?
How much more excited will they be for their wedding and to send these guys out?
How much more likely will one of those guest be to say “OH MY GOD thats amazing how did you do this?”

BUT WAIT MIKE BACK UP A COUPLE STEPS

Not all of my clients get an engagement session?
Ummm show a client a save the date like this while booking and send Vivaloo a thank you card for increasing your booking rate on e-sessions (besides more interaction with the couple before the big day means better wedding pictures so its a win win)

Thats all well and good but I know nothing about video ?
Fair enough but in this case you don’t have to know much to get above average results. First you can play around on your dslr to get comfortable shooting it. You already have built in photography skills and understanding of lighting. Instead of editing lots of clips, just go for one take this way all you have to do is open the file in quicktime, in the edit menu click “Trim”adjust the scrubbers to the beginning and end of the part you want, click “Trim” and then export it… DONE

I offer a highly polished product and I want more out of the video to match my aesthetic?
Thats great it sounds like your clients are awesome and see the value in adding some professional cinematography to their package… Nothing wrong with more add-ons to the package, that provide your clients with more value. Call up a couple local wedding film makers in the area. Go out to lunch and talk about what you are looking to do. Share the app with them. For those clients that demand more, give them more. How cool would be having a film shot at the same time as you are shooting the engagement session? How much more likely are they to book a wedding film of some kind? How much better will this couples wedding experience be and how envious will all their friends be that they didn’t get all this from their photographer?

Crap I forgot to shoot some footage at my engagement session… I guess I can’t offer thisMehhhh I hate that word can’t. Sure you can… How many pictures can you put on a save the date? 20? 50? Thats right I said 20 or 50… welcome to vivaloo you can create a slide show, save it as a compatible video file and Viva the heck out of it. How many times did a client pick out a picture that was just ok while you had tons of great stuff from the session, use vivaloo to share more of your great work and get more people excited about your photography.

My client wants a composite of images on the STD (thats short for save-the-date but after I typed it it just seemed rude)?
thats fine… if you used one of the smaller images for the vivaimage then you may run into issues my suggestion would be to export the entire design as the vivaimage so the video takes up the entire card… Ill post an example below. Hit the home button on your Vivaloo app and now type in the viva key “viviandrew”

SAVE-THE-DATE Tips

– When designing the card, think about how it will be used. Will there be fingers coving your Viva-image as they hold it? About how far away will the optimum or common viewing distance be from the viva-image for it to trigger properly.

– Try to design landscape pieces.. they work better anyways since most envelopes open landscape. Folded vertical cards work too if you use the entire interior spread as the vivaimage just realize that it may not work the best unless its opened fully.

– At some point it would be good to mess around with some video editing… Thats how I overlaid the text onto the video in the first example… I opened the card in photoshop removed the background and picture, then I exported it as a .png file. I dragged that .png onto the video and centered it… remember Vivaloo center crops everything so it will crop exactly to this over lay.

– Overlays do not just have to be text… they can be pictures to hint hint wink wink

– Make it easy on yourself in the beginning… shoot all your video so the most important information is in the center to allow for the most room if the video needs to be cropped due to aspect ration differences between video and print media. Having a knowledge of a video editing software means you can control the crop better by adjusting the file in it before linking

– Put yourself in the shoes of the person receiving this card in the mail. Think about the simplest most pain free way you can encourage the recipient to know how to (and willing to) download the app, type in the vivakey and use the app properly WITH OUT COMPROMISING THE DESIGN. I would consider printing up a bunch of business cards that have on the back simple instructions on how and what vivaloo is with the vivakey you create (this could be a blank that get hand written in too). These can be placed into the envelope with the card and if you print up enough you can do it in a cost effective way.

-You can also integrate simple instructions into the design. Multi-sided cards lend themselves to this best. This would have no additional cost but your design may have to make allowances for the addition of new information on it. You can even try a QR Code link to the app for those that are more tech savvy, here is a quick one if your to lazy to make your own 🙂